Dubai's $82 billion aerospace gamble

Marketwatch reports:

It's a windswept desert of dunes, rocks and 120-degree heat home to camels, snakes and antelope. Cutting through this desolate landscape, a dark tongue of asphalt is the only evidence that a project first dreamt of 30 years ago -- to make Dubai the world's top airport hub and a global aerospace player -- is on the verge of coming true.
One of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai may have a population of just 1.6 million, but it's got grand ambitions -- and deep pockets to bankroll them.
Its latest venture? An $82 billion gamble centering on the construction of the world's largest airport and the creation of an aerospace champion with leasing, maintenance and training capabilities.